Peters



(No Model.) 4 sheet ssheet 1..

J. ROBERTS. V PROCESS OF AND APPARATUS FOR MANUFAGTURING'HBATING ANDILLUMINATING GAS.

No. 345,649. Patented July 13, 1886,

(No ModeL) 4 Sheets-Shet 2.

J. ROBERTS. PROCESS OF AND APPARATUS FOR MANUFACTURING HEATING ANDILLUMINATING GAS.

No. 345, 49. Patented July 1-3, 1886.

4 Sheets-Sheet 3..

(No Model.)

J.ROBERT& PROCESS OF AND APPARATUS FOR MANUFACTURINGHBATING I ANDILLUMINATING GAS. No.34&649.

Patented July-13, 1886 mm.- Jazws Robe? (No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 4.,

. Y J. ROBERTS.

PROCESS OF AND APPARATUS FOR MANUFACTURING HEATING AND IL'LUMINATINGGAS.

N. PEYERS, Phnwlimo n her. wflsm zlon. D4 C.

UNITED STATES JAMES ROBERTS, OF NEW YORK, N.

PATENT OFFICE.

Y., ASSIGNOR TO THE ACME LIQUID FUEL COMPANY on NEW YORK.

PROCESS OF AND APPARATUS FOR MANUFACTURING HEATING AND lLLUMlNATlNG GAS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 345,649, dated July 13,1886.

Application filed February 23,1886. Serial No. 192,897. (No model.)

To alt whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, J AMES ROBERTS, a citizen of the United States,residing at the city of New York, in the county of New York and State ofNew York, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in a Processof and Apparatus for Manufacturing Heating and Illuminating Gas; and Ido hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exactdescription of the invention, such as will enable others-skilled in theart to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being hadto the accompanying drawings.

My invention relates to a process of and apparatus for the manufactureof heating and illuminating gas from waterand hydrocarbons, whichprocess consists of certain steps and in an apparatus of peculiarconstruction, which will be more fully hereinafter described, andpointed out in the claims.

The object of my invention is to produce a heating and illuminating gasof superior quality by a simple and economical process in an apparatuscheaply manufactured, readily un derstood and operated, which may beadapted to furnaces of any ordinary construction when desired forheating simply, or be used separately for the generation ofilluminating-gas.

I am aware that many attempts have been made to produce such a gas as Imanufacture from water and hydrocarbons by various processes andapparatuses, but, so far as I know, with only partial success. Theprocess and apparatus heretofore employed for this purpose have beenbased upon the theory that by the combination of steam, at a normaltemperature or superheated, and hydrocarbons or hydrocarbon vapors in aretort or mixingchamber heated to a high degree, a fixed gas is producedpossessing the desired heating and illuminating qualities. My inventiondiffers from those above mentioned in this, that by my apparatus, as Icontemplate using it, the water is separately converted into a gas,andat the same time the hydrocarbon is converted into a fixed gas, andthese several gases are then brought together in a common chamber,

and there united, forming a resultant gas possessing the necessaryqualities for heating or illumination, as may be desired. When this Igas is to be used for illumination, water and hydrocarbons are used inabout equal quantiquantity of water is increased, as may be desired,thereby producing a greater proportion of hydrogen. The degree of heatmay be increased or diminished by increasing or diminishing the relativequantity of water.

In the accompanying drawingsIhave illustrated the apparatus I prefer touse in the manufacture of this gas, although it is evident that changesand modifications therein may be made without departing from theprinciple of my invention or the steps necessary to be taken in carryingout my process.

In the drawings, wherein like letters and figures refer to similar partsin the several apparatus for. manufacturing gas, illustrated as appliedto a furnace, and showing the said furnace partially broken away. Fig.2is a perspective view of the apparatus with the burner running in thereverse direction. Fig. 3 is a plan View of the apparatus shown inFig. 1. Fig. 4 isa cross-sectional diagrammatic View showing the mannerof arranging the several pipes. Fig. 5 is a front elevation of theapparatus shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 6 is a detail view of a modified form ofburner. Fig. 7 is a detail view of a further modification of the burner.

As shown in Fig. 1, A indicates a bench of a furnace having a suitablegrate, A, mounted therein, and an extended support, A, which acts tokeep the apparatus in position.

In Figs. 2, 4, and 5 the apparatus is shown as supported upon suitableend trestles, B B, which may be connected and braced by tierods b b.

The apparatus consists, essentially, of a burner, 1, provided with a rowof apertures, 2 2, on each of its sides, situated radially at rightangles to the center of said burner 1, as shown in the diagrammaticalsectional View, Fig. 4. To the front portion of this burner 1 twoelbows, 3 3, extend downward on an incline in the form of a V, and unitein chambet 0, just ahead of the coupling 4, which joins the burner 1 tothese united elbows. Vherefihese elbows 3 3 join, a short partition,

views, Figure 1 is a perspective View of my ties; but where it is to beused for heating the illustrated.

5, is constructed, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 3, and adapted for apurpose which will be more fully hereinafter described.

To the elbows 3 3 are secured pipes 6 6 by couplings 7 7, said pipes 6 6extending rearwardly in a longitudinal direction, and are secured to theelbows 8 8 at the rear end of the burner 1. To the other side of theserear elbows, 8 8, pipes 9 9, of smaller diameter, are secured, beingheld in the said couplings 8 8 by bushings 10 10. These pipes 9 9 extendforward to the front of the burner 1 and directly over the same, andhave connected to their front ends the small feed-pipes 11 11, which areprovided with valves 12 12, said pipes connecting with reservoirs ofwater and hydrocarbon oil. It will be observed that the diameters of theseries of pipes increase from the feed-pipes 11 to the elbows 3 3, wherethe chamber is formed by the uniting of said elbows,and the burner 1made somewhat smaller than the said chamber; also. as illustrated inFigs. 1 and 2, the pipes 9 9 are slightly inclined downward toward thecouplings 8 8, and the pipes 6 6 have a like incline toward the frontportion of the apparatus, where they are connected to the elbows 3 3.The pipes 6 6 and 9 9 are so arranged in relation to the burner 1 thatthe greatest heat may be brought to bear upon the same, at whateverangles they may be placed. The purpose of these'details of constructionwill be more fully hereinafter described.

In Fig. 6 a modified form of the burner is In this modification the saidburner has an extension-pipe, 13, which has a suitable valve-opening,14. This extended pipe 13 is adapted to supply the burner 1 withatmospheric air when it is desired.

In Fig. 7 a further modification of the burner isillustrated. In thismodification the said pipe 1 is shortened, and hasasmall pipe, 15,secured thereto, and the gas as manufactured burns immediately at thispoint, and the flameis thus forced under the pipes with a greater flameand concentrated heat. This form of burner is especially adapted to beused in connection with blast-furnaces, throwing a steady and intenseflame into said furnaces. \Vith this form of pipe 1, having the burner15 connected therewith, is used the extension 13, as shown. By thismeans of feeding the burner 15 with atmospheric air a considerableamount of force or pressure is given to the flame, at the same timeextending the same. 16 16 are suitable gages on the feed-pipes 11, and17 17 are suitable automatic cut off valves.

The construction and arrangement of the apparatus having been fullycarried out, as hereinbefore described, my improved process ofmanufacturing gas will be asfollows: The fire having been started on thegrate A, as shown in Fig. 1, or by asuitable source of heat placed underand between the end trestles, as shown in Fig. 2, the pipes are heated.\Vhen the pipes 6 6 and 9 9 attain a cherry-red heat, the valves 12 areslightly opened, one or both,as may be desired, and the water or oilallowed to gradually drop into the smaller pipes, 9 9, and be decomposedor converted into a gas. If either the water or the oil is firstintroducedsay, for illustration, the oila small quantity is allowed todrop into its pipe 9, and there be converted into a fixed gas. This pipe9 being small causes the gas to have a considerable amount ofpressnre,due to the expansive effort of the same confined in a smallspace. In this state it then flows into the pipe 6, of greater diameter,through the elbow 8,and in this pipe it is again subjected to heat, andconsequently its expansion and pressure increase. In this re enforcedcondition it passes through one of the elbows 3 into the chamber formedby the uniting of said elbows, and thence passes into the burner 1 andthrough apertures2 2,and becomesignited by the source of heat, and itimmediately becomes a source of heat in itself, producing a flame in thechamber about it, which greatly intensifies and aids the source of heatin keeping the pipes up to the proper degree of temperature. This stepof the process may be pursued, though not necessary, in order to quickenand aid in keeping the pipesin a highly-heated state when the processwill become continuous, using both oil and water. In ordinary practice,the pipes 6 6 and 9 9 being at the desired degree of temperature, thevalves 12 are both slightly opened and oil and water allowed to dropgradually and intermittently into the pipes 9 9. As hereinbeforedescribed, the oil will immediately be converted into a fixed gas andflow through the series of pipes of increasing diameters, with aresultant increase of pressure of the said gas until the partition 5 isreached at the point where the two elbows 3 3 unite and form the chamber0. As the water drops into its pipe 9, it is decomposed into gas. Thisgas expands and flows out of the small pipe 9 with considerable pressureinto the pipe 6, through the elbow 8, and is heated to a still greaterdegree in this pipe, and its expansive force and pressure alsoincreased, and from thence it flows through the elbow 3 down to thepartition 5. The fixed gas produced from the hydrocarbon oil and the gasresulting from the decomposed water flow down through theoppositely-situated elbows 3, and strike against the partition 5 andflow into the enlarged chamber G, formed by the junction of the twoelbows 3 3, and unite. The affinity which oxygen has for carbon anddydrocarbon gas causes the said oxygen and dydrocarbon gas to unitefirst, forming carbonic-oxide gas. The hydrogen then unites or isabsorbed by this carbonic-oxide gas. The resulting compound gas passesinto the burner 1, and may pass through the apertures 2 2 on each sideof said burner, and be ignited and form a source of heat, or be carriedthrough suitable pipes into a receiver and used for illuminatingpurposes.

In using the gas which flows into the burner 1 as a source of heat byignition, no other source of heat is necessary to keep the pipes up tothe required degree of temperature, as the heat resulting from saidignited gas is so intense as to keep said pipes at the requiredtemperature.

By having the pipes 9 and 6 formed with a downwardincline to the rearand front, respectively, any tendency to a backing of the fluid will beprevented. A further advantage of this inclined construction of thepipes is, that the oil or water will spread out more quickly, andthereby be more readily converted from the fluid into the gaseous forms,if any of the said oil or water should have a tendency to remain inliquid form.

As seen in Figs. 6 and 7, after the gas has been formed and passed intothe burner 1, atmospheric air may be introduced into said gas throughthe extension 13. In thisinstance, as the gas and the atmospheric aircommingle, the oxygen of the said atmospheric air passes into the centerof the flame of the ignited gas passing through the apertures 2 2, andproduces a more intense heat and a greater amount of pressure. Thispressure may be increased or decreased, as may be desired, by providingthe front end of the extended pipe 13 with a suitable valve or otherregulating device, as 14.

The quantity of oil or water admitted to the pipes 9 9 through the pipes11 11 may be ascertained by the gages 16 16, suitably situated on saidpipes 11 or in connection with the valves 12.

It is obvious that the number of pipes 9 and 6 may be increased, ifdesired.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. The herein-described process of manufacturing heating or illuminatinggas from water and hydrocarbon oils, which consists in passing saidwater and oil separately through heated pipes of increasing diameters,and thus subjecting the vapors therein formed to continuous andincreasing expansion until said fluids are separately converted intogases, then combining said gases in a common heated mixing chamber,thereby forming a fixed gas.

2. In an apparatus for manufacturing heating or illuminating gas fromwater and hydrocarbon oils, the combination of a heatingchamber, waterand oil supply pipes, two or her, and a burner for supplying thenecessary heat, substantially as described.

4. In an apparatus for manufacturing heating or illuminating gas fromwater and hydrocarbon oils, the combination of a heating chamber, waterand oil supply pipes, two or more series of longitudinal pipes ofdiffering diameters, and having a rearward and forward downward incline,for converting the Water and hydrocarbon oil into gases, a mixingchamber or receptacle, and a burner having an air-ingress inits frontportion, substantially as described.

5. In an apparatus for manufacturing heating and illuminating gases fromwater and hydrocarbon oils, the combination of a heating-chamber, Waterand oil supply pipes having suitable cocks and gages to regulate andindicate the flow of the liquids therethrough, two or more series oflongitudinal pipes of differing diameters, for converting the water andoils into gases, and uniting in a mixingchamber, said series of pipesbeing arranged above a burner at suitable angles, substantially asdescribed.

6. In an apparatus for manufacturing heating and illuminating gases fromwater and hydrocarbon oils, the combination of a heating-chamber, waterand oil supply pipes 11 11,

- scribed.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JAMES ROBERTS.

Witnesses:

EDWARD L. MILLs, L. SEWARD BACON.

